I Used To Get Home In The Darkness But I Don’t Anymore

Now I arrive to this.

And in our yard I am greeted by these

and these.

As much as I love winter, I think Spring is the most cheerful month. It is certainly my favourite month. In my mind, Spring is a bit of a tomboy – warm and sunny with sudden storms and gusts of wind. Bouts of rambunctiousness are followed by periods of tranquillity. I always find Spring to be energising to my soul.

For some reason, it also puts me in the perfect frame of mind to cook – nothing too grand, of course. In my book, simplicity is key. So here’s a simple recipe (courtesy of Emeril Lagasse from Foodnetwork) for you to try. My tweaks are in brackets.

Pasta With Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces orchiette pasta (I used penne)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (I used dry)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (I used dry)
• (200g bresaola* – I added this because my husband likes to have some meat in his pasta)

*Bresaola is air-dried salted beef that is left to age for 2-3 months until it turns a dark red colour. It is a very lean cut of meat (not much use here since the recipe calls for cream ).

 

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. (Add the bresaola and cook for 3-4 minutes). Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
Add the pasta, stir to coat with the sauce, and cook until the pasta is heated through, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and divide among 4 serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle each serving with chives and serve immediately.